I Need The Subtitles
by RandyCh
Summary: When Bella moves to Colombia, South America, there's a clash of cultures and the need for subtitles. AU AH E/B. ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight, Betty, La Fea, Ugly Betty or RCN. I'm just playing around.

**A shout out to my lovely sisters, cabr and azotochtli**

***

Great, my second day on the job and I'm already having trouble with the stupid language. I've been studying Spanish for the past 5 years just so that I could work with a prestigious Colombian soap opera screenwriter. OK for some one who's not Latin that must sound really weird. But the truth is that most of the best TV shows in the Spanish language were written or inspired by Colombian shows. Just so you have a general idea of what I'm talking about, "Ugly Betty" is original "Betty, la fea" by RCN, a Colombian network.

So after pursuing my literature degree and getting a postgraduate diploma in screen writing I thought the next challenge could be a change in language. So here I am, 5 years of intensive Spanish and a trip around Mexico later in the very floors of RCN studios in Bogotá, Colombia.

"_Isabela, necesitamos que le pases estos documentos a Nacho para que él se los pase al jefe para la correción de ortografía_". SHIT! What did he just say? And what does a nacho have to do with anything? Does he want a snack? I got the part about the boss and the spelling check.

"_¿Perdón, puedes repetir por favor?_" now I'm asking him to say it again, and there goes the face. Yeap, the face I've been encountering for the past several hours. What a stupid "gringa"* why would she come here if she doesn't even understand the language? Yesterday it wasn't so bad. My boss, the fabulous Fernando Gaitán, who actually wrote "Betty, la fea", was really patient and he basically spoke in English all the time. My job really didn't have much to do with the writing but I have to supervise the translation of several screenplays to sell and coproduce with Americans or Europeans.

So here I am getting a command from this guy who really thinks I'm Mr. Gaitán's personal assistant or whatever. So he gives me "The gringo look" and says: "Sorry girl, I forgot to speak slower, but you really should get used to the Spanish. What I said was: "could you please give these to Nacho, the guy in the third office, so that he can give them to the boss for the grammar check". OK now I feel like an ass. Nacho is a guy, not a snack, and this idiot is making ME feel like an idiot for not getting the rapid Spanish on my second day on the job.

I take the box of papers he gives me and start walking to "Nacho's" office. "Ignacio Torres" is the name on the door, and after I check myself on the window I let myself in. Ignacio or Nacho is the one in charge of editing the texts, I'll be working with him very closely so I really should look my best and stop thinking of Taco Bell every time someone mentions him.

Nacho ends up being a very nice guy with a funny British/Spanish accent to his English, and he is very happy to be able to practice the language with me. After some small talk and the promise that Jaime, the guy who gave me the box, will never treat me like an idiot or send me on assistant errands, I left his office with a smile and my head held high. But then I miss a step on the stairs and tumble down getting my skirt to ride up and show the janitor my very fine fruit of the loom basic white panties.

There goes the confidence boost.

I take a minute to gather my thoughts -while the janitor laughs his ass off- and head down to my department. My office is a pretty large room with two computers and a large conference room table, my coworker Angela is a sweet girl who just graduated from university here in Bogotá and is very eager to make it in the industry. Her English is really amazing and she sometimes gets the mistakes I make while speaking (the advantages of having to learn the grammar of the language before heading head first into the slang).

Angela's working on the outline of a very ambitious project with the UK and she doesn't even look at me when I come in. My work for now is basically getting to know all the projects we are working on so I sit and stare at my computer screen for the next couple of hours.

Since Angela's Colombian she promised to take me out to see the sights and to get the feel of the city. One of the best parts of my job and the salary it came with was that RCN gave me a driver for the first few weeks until I got used to the horrible traffic and the size of the city, so I had basically not really gotten out that much. I've been in Bogotá for four days now, but it was basically me signing the contract and meeting my bosses and unpacking my stuff in the small apartment the channel had gotten for me to rent. I really didn't feel like taking my "Lonely Planet" guide to Bogotá out and starting to explore like some tourist. OK, _I_ _am_ technically a tourist but I would be living here for at least a year so it really didn't count. I wanted to experience the city like a local, so after Angela told me this morning to go out with her and her friends to the "_Parque de la 93_" I couldn't wait.

After the computer screen made me sick and Angela started packing and speaking rapid Spanish on her phone with someone I could guess was her roommate-- or her girlfriend, did she have same sex tendencies and hadn't disclosed this to me?-- we left the office and started talking about tonight's plans. It was a Thursday night so we weren't really "partying hard" as she phrased it. We were just having cocktails at a place called _Mármara_ in the _Parque de la 93_ which I soon discovered was not a large park NY style but a square of grass, albeit, a large square of grass that had restaurants, clubs, and bars all around. We would be meeting with Alicia--her straight room mate--both their boyfriends and a couple of other friends. I was kind of worried about the whole age difference thing, even though we were working together, Angela's only 23 and I am just short of the big third step. Angela said not to worry because Alicia's boyfriend was 28 and all his friends are around the same age, so a year's difference wasn't so bad.

My driver, Rodolfo, a very nice guy in his 60's had no problem taking us to the place and waiting for me until whichever time I wanted. It was great to not have to worry about how to get home drunk in a strange city. I was kind of worried that this wasn't in his job description. But the only answer I got was "_Señorita Isabela, yo ya estaba era preocupado de que no saliera_" which basically translates, "I was getting worried you weren't going out." Great, even the driver realizes what a loser I am . He is even concerned about my social skills; it was like being home with Renee all over again.

The drive took us an hour. Aside from the horrible traffic, the distances in this city were incredible, I thought Seattle was big. So we finally got to the place and of course it was packed, but Angela just waved to someone in the distance and we got seated with a bunch of people in the terrace. The music was loud so I couldn't catch much of the conversations going on around me and Angela just started making out with a guy who I truly hoped was her boyfriend. Alicia was a spunky girl who seemed short to me but I had come to realize was a perfectly average size for Colombia. She was talking to a tall blond guy who had to be foreign; he just had a face that screamed "I don't belong here with the short and dark haired". But what surprised me was his accent in Spanish, perfect "Colombian". Alicia finally realized that I was basically being ignored by Angela so she turned the conversation to English.

"So, Isabella, right?" As always it was the first question I got and the first thing I corrected. "It's Bella actually." "Well I kind of like Isabella and to be honest it's kind of cocky to call some one beautiful just because." WOW! This girl had some nerve! Really, could you be less offensive? "Well if you don't like it, what do you propose I be called, because I really don't like the formality of a full name" I said with as much venom as I could muster but she was oblivious to the whole thing and just looked like she was coming up with a "less cocky" nickname for me.

But thank God her boyfriend stepped in "I'm sorry Bella, Alicia can be very blunt. I'm Jasper, I'm from Houston." He had that sexy southern accent to a tee, and he seemed WAY nicer than the annoying little runt by my side.

"So you work with Gaitán? He's a very cool guy. I've seen him around in a bike all the time, he lives a couple of buildings from me."

"Yea, he's very nice. And I've dreamt of working with a writer of his caliber since college. And what do you do?"

So the mystery was revealed. Jasper's mom is Colombian and his dad American. He worked for the consulate for years so Jasper grew up in Bogotá but lived in Houston for some time before coming back for the love of his childhood and to work for Panasonic as their head publicist for Latin America. For some reason I still couldn't get what it was about Alicia that he and Angela loved so much.

"I got it! We'll call you Bella but just us who know and love you, but you have to start introducing yourself as Isa, that's a more sensible nickname for a future Colombian!" And the worst part of it all, she seemed smug about her discovery. As if my new nickname was the most incredible thing in the world.

"Oh! Just ignore her Bella" Chipped in Angela after taking a break from the tonsil hockey. "She's just weird about names. But she'll grown on you, she's the best"

OK I'll just have to take her word for it, because I really liked Jasper and would really like to go out with them again.

A few cocktails later I started getting why they loved her. She was the soul of the party always had something funny to say but she still let everyone in. She really was kind of awesome. And, truth be told, I kind of got the whole "beautiful" thing. Bella, pronounced in Spanish, really means beautiful. But I was not going to start calling myself Isa just to please the Colombians.

The night went on and I got to talking to some more people. I soon discovered that every other guy was called Andrés, and there were at least 4 Juan [Insert any other male name in Spanish] and all the girls were Natalia or Ana María, so remembering everyone's name wasn't so difficult. The third Natalia I talked to ended up working for RCN as well, but for the news section of the channel and we made a lunch date for the next day so that I could meet some more people at the office. Everyone was very nice and Alicia really had something that was unavoidably lovable. Everything was perfect until her brother showed up.

***

*** gringo/a is the name Latin-Americans give to anyone from the USA**

**AN: **OK! So the idea for this story really came as a punch in the face. I have been trying to write something that I really would feel strongly about and especially something that I felt I knew. I live in Bogotá and I adore the city so I really wanted some FF story to happen in a place no other had been. I LOVE the setting J. All the places that Bella will visit are real and for more info o pictures you'll have to PM me and I'll send you anything you ask.

I really hope to hear from anyone who reads this to see if I'm on the right path here…


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight

Thanks to philadelphic and Lady Silvia for their reviews. Hope E doesn't disappoint.

***

During our cocktail hour in _Mármara_ I discovered several very interesting facts about Colombians. The first one was the whole kissing on the cheek thing. WOW was it awkward when everyone who came and sat at our table crouched down and pecked me on the cheek. It wasn't a real kiss more of a sound and both cheeks touching, but still. They soon explained that it was a cultural thing and that I should get used to it. I would have to reevaluate my whole perception on physical boundaries.

Another interesting fact is the way they'll always try to make you drunk. Oh yes, foreigners will suffer greatly at the hands of all these heavy drinkers. Angela had said we weren't partying hard, well three very strong cocktails were hard drinking to me.

Angela and Natalia had been talking about this hot Mexican guy who acted in a soap opera produced by RCN, for the past half an hour. They were speaking in English for my benefit, but when the descriptions got to a certain point, they started using very funny Spanish slang. I learnt that my 5 year knowledge in the language didn't suffice for this god of a man. _Guapo_--the word I've been taught for "hot guy"--was now replaced by _churro_, _papito_, _está deli _(He's delicious) or a simple _MMMHHH_. They keep telling me that tomorrow we could just pass by the set on our way to lunch so that I could fully appreciate the delicious foreigner.

"Well, I'm pleased that those comments stopped being about my bother now that you've found some new eye candy" Alicia chipped in "I was kind of getting tired of not being able to fully participate in the drool fest"

"Yeah well now that we finally know "Edu" (she said the nickname like it was made from a horrible combination of under-the-shoe-gum and garlic) and have stopped drooling over the pictures, we finally get why he isn't taken. Really Ali, He's a TOTAL snob." Natalia laughed. But I was intrigued.

So I let Natalia and Alicia continue their rant on the hot actor and turned to Angela. "So… _is _Ali's brother drool worthy?" "Totally! Oh my gosh! He is the sexiest man to walk on earth; this Mexican has nothing on him, at least in looks, because honestly Eduardo is a total asshole. He's nothing like Alicia! She's this outgoing care free I-don't-mind-sticking-my-foot-in-my-mouth, kind of person and he's this total perfectionist that seriously thinks the sun shines out of his ass. He went to France after he graduated high school and ended up staying there for like five years. After that he lived in Italy working as a journalist for the Associated Press. I met him a few months ago after he got transferred to Bogotá. He's now the AP's main correspondent for Colombia.

Don't get me wrong, I _do_ admit he's smart as hell and has an awesome job--and apparently a great pay check--but… WOW, I never thought I'd get to meet a real stuck up prick until the day Ali finally introduced him to us."

Angela started telling me this horror stories that included the guy correcting several of them on their grammar--and not once in awhile and for laughs--but as an honest to goodness PreK-teacher-from-hell, with the rule attached to the mistake and everything. She told me that he started quoting Socrates just because they had some greek food, and finally, _la pièce de la résistance,_ was his whole perception of the city "Oh! Bogotá is SOO dirty compared to Milan" or "The food is fine, but when I lived in Paris we had this little bistro…" And so on and so forth.

This guy _was_ a total asshole. And I couldn't wait to meet him, because honestly I am the kind of girl who enjoys making fun of idiots like him. I'm not easily intimidated.

Angela and I passed on to less annoying topics, like how she and her boyfriend, Andrés Benavides or Ben, had met. We also chatted about her future trip to visit me in Forks, Washington--I found that Colombians tend to make huge plans way ahead of time and then never end up following through.

In the middle of my explanation of the many adventures that my hometown presented to the average big-city girl, I got my first glimpse of Eduardo Cuellar.

He had just come into the restaurant and was casually saying hello to the few people he knew from our group. I saw him hug and give a kiss on the cheek to a couple of gorgeous girls that where sitting on the table next to ours and then he came to rest next to Jasper. I couldn't take my eyes off him, I was mesmerized. Every story that Angela had told me a couple of minutes ago felt like a distant memory, a lie. It couldn't be possible that this beautiful man could have any flaws. He was taller than your average Colombian, he had amazing dark green eyes and flawless sex hair, the kind that most boys try to emulate with expensive products but that just looked natural and perfect for Eduardo. Eduardo, wow even his name sounded sexy now.

And man was I ogling! I was in the midst of a mental speculation regarding the exact shade of green his eyes were when he looked directly at me. Shit! I'd been caught. And what do you do when a man straight out of GQ looks at you? You smile the flirtiest smile you can muster. But what do you do when your smile is met with a horrible face that not only tells you he's totally out of your league, but that you have something big and green stuck in your teeth? You make a quick exit to the restroom, to either clean the stuff up or barf it out.

As I made my exit I--very gracefully--tripped on my own feet and landed face first next to his seat. I mumbled my excuses while trying to conceal the thing I thought was stuck in my tooth, and walked straight to the nearest restroom.

My reflection told me that there was nothing remotely disgusting stuck anywhere in the vicinity of my mouth, I just looked very red and flustered from my fall, but everything else was fine. So why on earth did he look at me like that? Who did he think he was? And he was NOT totally out of my… OK maybe he _was_ too gorgeous for me. But still, I didn't have a mole the size of Arizona on my face to make him look at me like that. Shit! Now I got where all of Angela's stories came from. If one look made me hate myself I could just imagine the _pleasantries_ that came out of his beautiful mouth.

I took my time freshening up and left the restroom with the intention of ignoring the prick that made me feel like the tree-man's sister. But when I got to the table I was shocked to find said prick sitting on my chair and on top of my prettiest coat.

"Sorry but that's my seat." I said in my would-be confident voice.

"_¿Me das un segundo que estoy hablando con Ben?_" And the idiot just spoke to me in rapid Spanish when he had heard me ask in English. This guy spoke French and Italian and couldn't say one word to me in English? What. An. Idiot. I was fuming and Bella fuming was never good news.

"Look here shithead, I don't care what magazine cover you last appeared in, but I deserve respect and in the middle of that rant I didn't hear one 'sorry' or 'excuse me', so can I please have my seat and coat back?"

"Oh! I'm _sorry._ Here you go" he gave me my coat but didn't even try to stand up "and please, next time you come out, don't forget to take your PMS pills."

WHAT?!?

I opened and closed my mouth in shock a couple of times and he just kept talking to Angela's boyfriend. This is unbelievable! I was told Latin guys were a bit more gentlemanly than this. Thank heavens Jasper was there to save the night again. Before I could burst--and either started punching the guy or crying--he gave me his seat and asked a waiter for another one of the cocktails I was having.

"He was just joking Bella. Don't think too much of it. He can sometimes say things that he means to be funny in a very offending tone. He's another one that grows on you. The Cuellar's are all like that." No way on earth was this idiot going to become nicer with time.

And time proved it. For the rest of the evening he kept shooting sideways glances at me that had the same effect as the first one. Only now it came with a hint of mockery and an undertone of pure loathing. He was NOT growing on me.

I spent the rest of my time trying to ignore him and have a semi-conscious conversation with Alicia and Jasper, but it was impossible. How could this guy affect me so much? I was ready to mock him like there was no tomorrow when I first heard the stories, but now… I was actually a little intimidated and VERY pissed.

I called for my ride at exactly midnight and waited just a few minutes for Rodolfo to bring the car in. I was taking Angela and Alicia back to their apartment so that neither boyfriend had to go out of their way. I said bye to the few people I had really gotten along with and was reminded of our lunch date with Natalia and the hot Mexican. Jasper hugged and kissed me on the cheek--I was slowly getting used to the whole thing-- and was happy to give him my number so that we could grab coffee sometime. Mr. Idiot PMS kept his distance and hugged his sister good-bye. With one final "shitty" look I was rid of his annoying presence.

"So, what did you think of my big brother?"

"Seriously? or should I spare your feelings?"

"Seriously!"

"He's a prick. No, not just _a_ prick but _The _Prick"

***

**AN:**Just so that we're all on the same page: here in Colombia to kiss on the cheek is the most normal way to say 'hi' and 'good bye' and people ALWAYS do it whether they like the person or not. So Bella and Eduardo will most probably kiss hello next time they see each other (Just a warning).

An important thing I forgot last AN: Bella's name will always be Isabela (spelled with one l) when the text is in Spanish.

And Eduardo told Bella to give him a second 'cause he was talking to Ben, when she asked for her seat back.

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight

There's a link for Bella's ringtones on my profile. **PLEASE** listen to it before starting. Imagine waking up to THAT, with a hangover!!!!!

***

_Atreve-te-te-te salte del clóset, dest__ápate_,

The horrible song that Alicia had set as my ringtone started buzzing in my ear.

"Hello?"

"Bella, _querida_ it's Angela. Could you pick me up on the way to work today?"

"Wait, what time is it?"

"It's way too late for you to be asleep. We have an hour to get to the channel. I thought you'd at least be showered by now. OOOOH! Now I get it, you're _enguayabada_!!!! Poor baby, take a couple of Alka-Seltzer and you'll be fine. I'll be at my gate in ten, see ya then."

I'm what? What time did she say it was? TEN MINUTES??? NOOOO. The moment I tried to stand up my whole head felt like it was about to burst. I had the worst hangover ever!

Looking through the cupboard in my bathroom I realized that it'd been fully stalked with anything you would need to cure my nausea, headache and "whole body pain". I would have to thank Rosa--my cleaning lady and as of this very moment my best friend--for helping with the shopping. After a quick shower and a few headache pills, I was on my way to pick up Angela.

After mocking me for about five hours, Angela and I where finally meeting up with Natalia for our lunch date.

"So we'll just pass through the set and casually ask him if he has company for lunch. I know for a fact that he doesn't eat with the rest of the cast, I don't know why, but he might have some…" Natalia stopped her planning abruptly and started looking a bit green, it really wasn't her best face. I looked around for the source of her shock and was met face to face with a body-builder of a man,with unruly curly hair and a set of gorgeous dimples.

"_Planeando una cita?_" He said with a mocking tone.

"_Mierda, es que… la verdad…No! que pena. No sabíamos si…__¿__¿quieres almorzar con nosotras??_"

So, apparently the beautiful Mexican was officially standing in front of me. He had caught us in the middle of planning and had actually asked us if we were planning a date. And now Natalia was asking if he would be willing to come with us, just like that. She literally asked him if he wanted to have lunch with us.

"You don't have to. Really!" I said. My face was probably turning purple by now.

"OOOHHH! You're the new _gringa_ working for Gaitán? Pleasure to meet you. I'm Emeterio Fernández, but everybody calls me Em." We shook hands and I saw the winning dimpled smile. WOW! He really is hot, but he's got nothing on The Prick (Shit! Where did THAT come from?)

"I'm Bella, and these are my friends Angela Reyes and Natalia Orejuela"

"_Niñas, un placer. _And I'd be happy to have lunch with you. My date bailed out on me and I wouldn't mind spending an hour in the company of such beautiful ladies." He's smooth, this could mean trouble.

Lunch ended up being a very entertaining affair. Em was actually a very nice guy. He told us jokes and funny stories about the years he spent modeling in Europe. He gushed about his girlfriend, Rosalia. She is a girl from the coast of Colombia who was the reason why he left modeling and started his acting career. He was quite the gentleman and even ended up paying for our lunch. I really liked Em. But I realized that the drool fest had to end at a certain point. Not only was he the kind of guy you end up seeing as a big brother. But he showed us a picture of his girlfriend; THAT was a blow on my self esteem. Rosalia was absolutely stunning.

At the end of our lunch hour, Angela finally had the guts to ask him if he wanted to hang out with us sometime.

"Sure! That'd be awesome. Rosie's gonna love you guys. We're actually going to _Andrés_ tonight. What are your plans? Wanna come?"

"_Andrés_? With YOU?!?"

"Sure we'll be there"

"No problem."

"And if you want to bring any single guy friends we don't mind." Natalia and Angela were basically screaming. Em just chuckled and asked all of us for our phone numbers and we got his. So now I was apparently being forced to go to the house of some unknown guy named Andrés for a party. I really didn't know what the big deal was unless Andrés had an indoor pool or something, there was no way this night could be anything special.

"What is so special about Andres' house that you are so excited?"

"YOU HAVEN'T TAKEN HER TO _ANDRÉS_?!?!?!?!?!?!?" Natalia asked Angela, like it was the end of the world.

"No, no, no, no, _querida_! That is no house. It's a place called _Andrés Carne de Res_ and it's the coolest restaurant/bar/club in town. Well it's not actually IN town. It's on the outskirts of Bogotá but it's… well you'll see. Tonight you'll be introduced to what a party in Colombia really is."

They both started telling me that this place just couldn't be described. That it had to be experienced in the flesh, and that I would never find anything like it anywhere else in the world. They told me it would be best to have a driver so I agreed to figure things out with Rodolfo later today.

"NOOOO ask him NOW!" They were VERY excited about going to this place. And the truth is their enthusiasm was infectious. I was really dying to visit this cool place. I even Googled it and some pretty interesting pictures came up, the webpage looked totally insane. All in all this could be a great night!

Rodolfo confirmed my suspicions when I spoke to him on the phone. He sounded really pleased that my friends wanted me to experience that place. So we were set! _Andrés_ tonight!

***

**AN: **Sorry for the short chapter but _Andrés_ deserves a couple of chapters. I'll be posting on my profile the links to the places they've been so that you can see the awesomeness that my country has to offer.

I am going away for a couple of weeks. Don't expect updates until after July 20th. Thanks!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight

**IMPORTANT AN!!**

As the story progresses there will be more dialogues and expressions in Spanish, so I've decided to start writing the FULL translation on anything said at the end of each chapter.

This chapter goes out to everyone who has experienced the joy of _Andrés Carne de Res_!

***

It's already 9 p.m. and Natalia hasn't answered my calls for the last two hours while Angela's phone goes directly to voice mail. I think this "Colombian Time" thing is horrible. Rodolfo keeps telling me that Colombians are never on time so I should give them until 9:30 and everything will be fine.

I've been sitting in the car with him for the past hour just staring at my front gate. I was ready at 7 p.m. (the time I was supposed to pick the girls up at Angela's) but they haven't answered since then. It's already 9:15… SHIT!!! We are never going to get to this place!!!

_Atrévete-te-te salte del…_

"_Aló_"

"Bella? It's Alicia. We've been ready for the past 15 minutes! Where are you?"

WHAT???? Now they are complaining because I wasn't there "on time"? And since when is Alicia coming? Oh well! I should have guessed tiny would tag along; we were meeting at her apartment.

"I'll be there in 5. Oh and next time, PLEASE tell me the ACTUAL time in which we are leaving so I don't look like an idiot sitting in my car talking to Rodolfo for TWO HOURS!!!" After my rant I just hung up and ignored what ever explanation she was going to give me. This "Colombian Time" was really getting on my nerves.

When we got to the apartment I immediately saw a huge problem. Where in my very small car would we fit everyone? It was Alicia and Jasper, Angela and "Ben" and Natalia and some guy I didn't know. And now I spotted an even bigger problem: I was the only one without a date.

Alicia came up to me first and we started the long process of hugging and cheek-kissing that came with being Colombian. When I got to Natalia's date I got another "great" surprise, he wasn't _her _date, he was _my _date.

"_¡Hola! ¡Soy Miguel el primo de Natalia me encanta conocerte! Desde que llegaste mi primis no ha hecho más que hablar de ti!_"

(Did I mention I HATE surprises?)

So this "Miguel" was Natalia's cousin and the moment he started his very long introduction everybody else gave me that look that said "SOOOO what do YOU think!" AAAAAAHHHHH!!! I hate Colombians and blind dates!

He wasn't terrible looking; in fact I kind of had a thing for blue eyes, but he just kept talking and talking...and TALKING. Too much information and my brain wasn't really processing all the Spanish he threw at me.

"_Entonces…¿en qué carro nos vamos?_" finally he said something I didn't have to think too much to translate. He was asking what car we should take.

"Well, Rodolfo can drive some of us but I think ..."

"You know what" Alicia suddenly interrupted "Edu owes me a favor and the last time we went to _Andrés_ he promised to be the next designated driver so I'll tell him to take Jazz and I, and you four can go with Bella."

GREAT! Now The Prick was coming AND I had to pay attention to this Miguel person all night long. No matter how amazing this place was I was NOT going to enjoy myself.

We were finally on the road and my car looked like a can of sardines. Miguel kept talking to me but Rodolfo, in all his awesomeness, saw how annoyed I was and started answering for me. It was a VERY long ride. But then suddenly, I saw the lights.

To my left a line of Moulin Rouge stile wind mills started appearing, and then suddenly the statue of a cow and then… WOW this place was AWESOME!

Rodolfo left us at the door and we waited for the other people to arrive. There was a huge line in front of the ticket booth -that was actually a gipsy wagon. I saw some guys in jester costumes entertaining the crowd around the line; it was a lot to take in but it was still the best out-side-of-a-place I had ever seen. I still couldn't see the inside, but there was a deck surrounding all the entrance and all the tables there were full, the music was great and I saw a couple of people standing on a table dancing. I was wrong; this place was awesome enough to make me forget the men in our group. And, OH MY GOD the waiters! The few I saw going around the deck-thingy were HOT!!!!

As I turned around to see where Rodolfo was parking I was met by the biggest parking lot outside of a mall I had ever seen. And in front there was a big brick kiosk that was empty but Miguel jumped at the chance to explain that after midnight they would open and sell the best hangover _caldo_ (beef broth with potatoes) and _empanadas_ (savory turnovers filled with meat and potatoes) in the world.

After I finished gaping at what I could see of the place the rest of our group arrived. All thought of how hot the waiters were left my head the moment I set eyes on Eduardo. Man does that boy clean up nice! And he was actually laughing at something Jasper said; I had no words to describe that laugh. But then--the moment he laid eyes on me--it went away. He wasn't exactly frowning but he was definitely not pleased to see me.

The Prick went around the group kissing people left and right and I got the same treatment as everyone else. But the moment our cheeks met, there was a surge of electricity and he jumped back. I think I almost fainted when he pulled away… I wanted that spark back. And then I met his eyes and they looked different. For a second I thought he felt it too and I thought he might want to try it again. But the moment went away and his face showed no signs of appreciation. He just looked at me like I was dirt on his favorite jacket.

I turned around a bit self conscious of our exchange but I immediately realized that it hadn't lasted enough for the rest of the group to notice. How they could be oblivious to the energy we just exchanged was a mystery to me; I was thankful I didn't have to explain it though. The only difference I saw in the rest was a small shadow of a smile in Alicia's face, maybe she had seen something.

"_Listo güevón! __Entremos antes de que nos dejen sin mesa!_" shouted Jasper at the top of his lungs. I couldn't help but look around because of the little slang I knew in Spanish "güevón" was at the top of my "VERY nasty words" list. But apparently it was OK to call your friends that, go figure.

"So how are we meeting the delicious Em?" I had just realized that in this stadium of a place it would be impossible for us to find him.

"Don't worry, Bella. He'll probably be right by the entrance. They always give out those tables to the celebs." Natalia answered.

"Who are you guys meeting?" The last person I thought would speak asked me. Eduardo was looking at me directly with a mixture of hate, relief and what could only be described as jealousy. I knew he wanted ME to answer or he wouldn't even have bothered to say it in English.

"Just some actor who works in RCN. We had lunch with him today and he asked us to come to _Andrés_." I said in my most casual voice.

"Oh! I thought Alicia had planned this outing a long time ago." And here he was talking to me some more…his voice was mesmerizing. I couldn't decide where his accent was from. Of course I knew he's English wasn't native but he just had this mixture between a neutral American accent with a British "t" and "s".

"Really? I didn't know she was even invited until she called me." I kind of laughed.

"If you are implying I'm here because I invited myself or something like that you are seriously mistaken sister! I never invite myself. I am way too important and everybody knows to invite me if they A) want to have a good time and B) want to keep their heads on their shoulders for a bit longer" Alicia chipped in. I laughed at her offended but mocking tone but kept looking at Eduardo. He was also laughing and I was still kind of dazzled by him.

Then he did something even more unexpected than talking; he leveled his head with mine and said in a loud whisper. "She only wishes she were this important. I really think Angela must have invited her out of pity."

Whatever he said didn't register. Something about Angela and pity and…sweet delicious breath I just inhaled.

"What?" I asked hoping to get to smell his sent again.

But he just jumped back and looked at me like I was dirt again. As if my breath –that smells minty fresh if anyone was worried- had some repulsive smell. He just made a face and started talking rapid Spanish with Jasper. The guy is one weird bird. First all laughs and secret jokes and then, back to The Prick.

We got our tickets and after that exchange I carefully avoided looking, touching or even breathing anything that had to do with The Prick. While I was frantically trying to get away from him I suddenly found myself inside _Andrés Carne de Res_ and if the outside was cool, the inside was the most incredible thing I'd ever seen. There were all kinds of things around. Things you would automatically discard as trash looked like art inside this place. I spotted a door made out of metal pot lids in the shape of and Absolute Vodka bottle, a rolled up mattress in the ceiling and a hallway that was covered with old plates. It was amazing. I was pushing and shoving everyone in my way until I suddenly bumped into a very hard body.

"Bella _corazón, _I thought you wouldn't show!" It was Emeterio and I was relieved to see that he had a huge table that was empty enough to sit the rest of my group. Natalia and her cousin heard our exchange and came "running" (or as fast as you could move in this crowd) back to where I was. We were about to be introduced to Rosalia …

"_¡No lo puedo creer! __¡Eduardo Cuellar! ¡Tiempo sin verte cabrón, yo pensé que seguías en Milán!_" It was Em saying "hi" to The Prick, of all the people to know they had to know each other. "¿_Cuando volviste? ¿Y Tanya?_"

Tanya? This was going to be interesting.

***

**Translations****:**

"_¡Hola! ¡Soy Miguel el primo de Natalia me encanta conocerte! Desde que llegaste mi primis no ha hecho más que hablar de ti." _

Hi I'm Miguel, Natalia's cousin, lovely to meet you! Since you arrived my "cous" hasn't talked about anything else.

"_Entonces…¿en qué carro nos vamos?_"

So… what car are we taking?

"_Listo güevón! Entremos antes de que nos dejen si mesa!_"

Ready dickhead! Let's go in before we're left without a table

"_¡No lo puedo creer! ¡Eduardo Cuellar! ¡Tiempo sin verte cabrón, yo pensé que seguías en Milán!_"

I can't believe it! Eduardo Cuellar! Long time no see, motherfucker. I thought you were still in Milan.

"¿_Cuando volviste? ¿Y Tanya?_"

When did you come back? And Tanya?

**AN: **So… I have to excuse myself for not posting sooner. I got back from vacation a week ago but hadn't had the time to update! Sorry, sorry!!!! But I'm back and the idea is to post regularly on Mondays, so next Monday you'll have the next chapter!!!

What are your opinions? Review and PM me with any questions you may have on the Spanish!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight

Thanks to CSIAllie who's stuck to the story and loves _Andrés_!!!

To every one who reviews THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's the best feeling to get new readers and beautiful reviews!!!

**IMPORTANT AN: **Now, down to business. I'm taking some liberties with Tanya. For the purpose of my story I'm making her physically more like Bella. It might be off-putting at first, but you'll see it was needed. After all Tanya is a secondary character.

***

"_**¡No lo puedo creer!**__**¡Eduardo Cuellar! ¡Tiempo sin verte cabr**__**ón, yo pensé que seguías en Milán!**__" __It was Em saying "hi" to The Prick, of all the people to know they had to know each other. "__**¿Cuando volviste? ¿Y Tanya?**__" _

_Tanya? This was going to be interesting. _

"_¡Güevón Em! Eso ya es historia patria. Pero sí quiero saber que putas está haciendo usted en Bogotá._"

Apparently, this Tanya person was ancient history. It was difficult to get everything The Prick was saying because he was using WAY too many expletives and addressing Em using "_Usted_" instead of "_Tú_". I thought "usted" was too formal for friends. Of course I was learning fast that young Colombians were very unpredictable in the use of their language.

So Em and The Prick were friends? What are the odds of that? I knew Emeterio's nice and charming self was too good to be true.

From the corner of my eye I could see a very annoyed Rosalía who Em had completely forgotten for his long lost friend. "_¡Hola, yo soy Bella! __Tú debes ser Rosalía la novia de Em._" I put on my best face and introduced myself. I actually think I didn't make any grammar mistakes and that my accent wasn't too bad. "_AHHH Sí, Em me dijo que unas niñas del canal venían esta noche._ It's nice to meet you Bella, I actually lived in Seattle for a while doing some modeling." She wasn't only gorgeous but nice! And her English was perfect. I was kind of surprised that of all the Colombians I'd met only Natalia and her cousin had difficulty with the language.

"OH! I'm actually from Washington State; did you ever hear of Forks?"

"Really??? I did a shoot for Maxim at First Beach!"

And so I hit it off with the model. Apparently I wasn't as socially dysfunctional as I thought. This girl had an interesting life, she had lived in every continent for at least a year and her modeling paid for her real obsession: cars. She told me she had a huge collection in her house in Cartagena and she only kept her Mercedes convertible here in Bogotá. I wanted to know everything about Cartagena. All the tourist guides, books, and magazines about Colombia mentioned the city as being a cultural and historic Patrimony of Humanity. That was an impressive title and I really wanted to go there. So we talked about the wonders of the city as well. We agreed to go for three or four days in the near future. (I really hoped it would not turn into one of those Colombian plans that never came through).

While Rose –she insisted her name was too old fashioned—and I became friends every one else in our group settled down. Our table was located next to a small dance floor on the far side of _Andrés_ and the moment a catchy "merengue" song started everyone left for the dance floor. I was glad that Rose didn't feel like dancing at the moment so we kept talking. Then, this god of a man came straight towards us.

"_¡Hola niñas! Mi nombre es Andrés y voy a ser su mesero esta noche ¿Qué quieren de tomar? __¿O de pronto algo de comer?" _I'd forgotten that the waiters were hot! In _Andrés_ all the waiters wear a very large light-brown leather apron with their names sewed to the back, but they are allowed to wear their normal clothes underneath. So Mr. Sexy-waiter had a pair of tight fit jeans and a plain white t-shirt that accentuated his muscles perfectly. Once I stopped drooling on him we ordered a couple of mojitos on Rose's command.

"They are the best in the world. Believe me! You won't regret it!"

"Just so you know, I don't have a high tolerance for alcohol, Rose. Are you sure a mojito is the best way to start the night? I don't want to puke all over my driver."

"No worries Bella. If you stick to just that one mojito you'll survive. But don't let anyone convince you of ordering a second one. So, what's the story with you and Cuellar?"

That was an abrupt change of topic.

"Story? What story? And how do you know Eduardo? I didn't see you guys exchanging pleasantries at all!"

"Well… we kind of met in Milan. Em introduced us before we started really dating. They were best friends back then and it was obvious that his approval would be needed if Em had serious intentions of dating me. The first time we saw each other it was fine--he's a fun guy when he wants to be--but then I met his uptight girlfriend, Tanya.

"We were all going to a Fashion TV party in Monaco and it was a big deal. I was supposed to go as one of the invited models and be available for pictures and such. Em had asked Cuellar and Tanya to come (all expenses paid) and keep him company while I mingled. During the party everything went fine until Cuellar, trying to be funny, asked Tanya to take a picture of the two of us; he was kind of drunk and he put his hand a bit lower than appropriate. Of course I jumped and started play-scolding him but that set her off. She started calling me a whore because I had let him touch me and saying that I was out to get her boyfriend so I could have both Em and him. She was insane.

"Em tried unsuccessfully to calm her down but she just kept screaming and of course I answered back and… I got fired. So his ass of a girlfriend got me fired and after we got escorted out of the premises we kept exchanging insults (and a few hair pulls) and both our boyfriends basically got in the middle and they each defended their girl. So that night was the end of Em and Cuellar's long friendship and my contract in Milan. They saw each other a couple of times after that but it always ended up in a fight because Cuellar always accused me of ruining the friendship. I avoid him and he avoids me. But apparently all's forgotten from the looks of it."

I automatically turned and saw that both The Prick and Em had stopped dancing and were effectively man hugging and laughing. So that's who Tanya is, an idiotic jealous girlfriend (ex--from what I heard earlier) who ruined careers and friendships.

"But what do you mean what our story is? There is _no_ story."

"Well I can tell from the way he looks at you, he's totally into you. But then again you do kind of… naaaaah not really, never mind."

"I do kind of what???"

"You kind of, sort of, maybe look a bit like the aforementioned idiot girl."

WHAT?

"You're saying I look like this Tanya?"

"Well, sort of… A younger, cuter version" she tried to amend "But similar none the less. Not only are you his type but you don't look crazy like her. I've heard rumors from my friends back in Europe that Tanya ended up being even more of a bitch than we thought."

I finally got it; he was looking at me like I was dirt because I _reminded_ him of dirt. After the talk with Rose I was ready to look at him under a new light, maybe he was so damaged by this girl that he became The Prick. But just as I was about to turn, I came face to face with Miguel.

"_¿Quieres Bailar?_"

"_Claro que sí quiere bailar._" Rose pushed me into the arms of Sir-talk-a-lot and the poor guy had to deal with my uncoordinated self dancing Latin music.

"Merengue" I could handle; but when Miguel asked me to dance "salsa" that was a total disaster. If "merengue" is a two-step kind of dance, "salsa" is a two hundred-step dance. As I was trying to focus on not stepping on my dance partner he just talked and talked. Fast Spanish and complicated dancing equaled a very confused Bella. I was kind of dizzy by the time he started spinning me around.

At a certain point he whispered in my ear that my cocktail had arrived so I took my chance and just bailed. I was suddenly very thirsty. Ignoring Rose's previous warning I drank half my mojito in one gulp—and oh, man! She was right the stuff was delicious—before asking Andrés for another one.

I was distractedly sipping on the last bit of mojito when I felt an electric current pass from my shoulder all the way down to my toes. I turned and was faced with a very confused Eduardo. His hand was stretched and that told me the origin of the electricity I felt. His hand had been touching the back of my shoulder.

"Do you want to dance?" he asked in a rushed but timid voice.

"As you might have noticed my forte is stepping on my partner's toes and not keeping up with the beat. Are you sure you're up for it?"

My trying-to-be-funny answer got him out of his stupor and he just looked me straight in the eyes and dazzled me with an indescribably delicious half smile.

"It's all in the leading Bella. Don't worry, my feet will be safe."

***

**Translations****:**

"_¡Güevón Em! Eso ya es historia patria. Pero sí quiero saber que putas está haciendo usted en Bogotá"_

Em!!! That's ancient history. But what I do want to know is what the fuck are you doing in Bogotá?

"_¡Hola, yo soy Bella! Tu debes ser Rosalía la novia de Em"_

Hi, I'm Bella! You must be Rosalia, Em's girlfriend.

"_AHHH Sí Em me dijo que unas niñas del canal venían esta noche."_

Of course! Em told me some girls from the channel were coming tonight.

"_¡Hola niñas! Mi nombre es Andrés y voy a ser su mesero esta noche ¿Qué quieren de tomar? __¿O de pronto algo de comer?"_

Hello girls! My name is Andrés and I'll be your server tonight! Would you like something to drink or eat?

"_¿Quieres Bailar?_"

Do you want to dance? (In Colombia we are old fashioned and men still ask girls if they want to dance and extend their hand like in old movies!)

"_Claro que sí quiere bailar_"

Of course she wants to dance.

For anyone who doesn't know: In Spanish we have two forms of "you" the formal (_Usted_) and the informal (_Tú_). Here in Colombia most men refer to each other as _Usted_, whether they are friends or not (In my opinion it's more of a "macho" thing than anything else) In Mexico--from what my Mexican friends tell me--they never use _Usted_.

**AN:** I've put two more links up in the music section in my profile! The Merengue song everyone started dancing and the salsa that Miguel and Bella danced. Just so that everyone can hear the difference… or if you don't at least you'll know what it sounds like! I've also put up the link to Karé[ment], the club in Monaco where the infamous Fashion TV party took place.

Would you like to dance salsa with Eduardo Cuellar???


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight

**AN: **I'm glad we all want to dance salsa with Cuellar… I would personally love to dance to "El Preso" with him so Bella will do it for me!!!

***

"_It's all in the leading Bella. __Don't worry, my feet will be safe."_

I couldn't speak. I just kept staring into his eyes and nodded my response. To make my currently idiotic posture even worse he took my hand and dragged me to the dance floor. As he walked ahead of me I got a perfect view of his lean body, his snug jeans were tight enough to reveal his perfectly shaped ass and the dark denim made his legs look longer. He was wearing a light blue button down shirt that left little to the imagination, it clung to his arms and torso so nicely that you could see his muscles contract as he kept pulling me ahead.

He kept turning back and looking at me. His stare was mesmerizing. Aside from his eyes his hair was driving me wild. It looked exactly like last night but today it had something even sexier to it, maybe it was because I hadn't really seen the back of his head before. I had to stop myself from looking at his neck or I would have just licked it. He is definitely the hottest man I've ever seen. The electric current I had felt before was still there, it was actually back with a vengeance. When he turned to look at me, his eyes told me that I hadn't imagined it before, he felt it too.

But he was not totally lost, there was still a hint of that look he had been giving me, but now I recognized it for what it really was, apprehension. He didn't trust me. Did I trust him? I felt like Elizabeth Bennet during the Netherfield ball. Mr. Darcy has finally come up to me and asked me to dance but I still see The Prick in him. No, I didn't really trust him. My limited knowledge in the relationship department just told me that he was trouble and that I would end up heartbroken… as always.

We got to the dance floor after what felt like hours and my mind finally came back to the present: I was about to dance salsa with Eduardo Cuellar. WHAT??? SHIT I hadn't heard the beat of the music when he asked me. What am I going to do?

"Eduardo, I really think this is a bad idea, I wasn't kidding when I said I couldn't dance."

"And I wasn't kidding when I said it's all in the leading"

He put his left arm around my waist and kept my right hand in his. My physical boundaries were in dire need of reevaluation. I thought the "hellos" were as far as it went, but the dancing was TOO close. I could feel his entire body pressing against mine. When I danced with Miguel I was far too worried about his feet to notice how close he was, but with Eduardo it was inevitable. His strong arms kept me balanced and I felt my feet leave the ground; he was practically carrying me and swaying me to the music.

The song was the farthest thing from romantic. It was about a guy in jail complaining about his life. I had heard the song before on the radio and thought it had an amazing beat, the rhythm was infectious and I couldn't stop myself from bobbing my head. I also could hear now how fast it really was. I could see the couples around us doing difficult turns and fast moves, but Eduardo just held me and moved as if it were a slow dance. Trust me, I wasn't complaining, I could keep up with slow. I felt our bodies mold like puzzle pieces, I felt like we really were the only people in the room (It truly felt like the Netherfield ball in the Keira Knightly movie). But I was getting too cozy and let my arm go higher than planned, searching for his perfect sex hair. And when I finally got to my goal, I felt his whole body tense up; I dropped my hand and I saw how our bodies started to move apart. I missed the contact. I felt him lower his head and whisper in my ear.

"_Entonces Bella, ¿estás lista para aprender a bailar salsa rola? _Oh, sorry. I forget that you are a gringa. I should speak in English. Are you ready to learn how to dance salsa Bogotá style?"

Was I ready to salsa? Was he for real? After that intimate contact he wanted to really dance? And why was his "prick" attitude back? "I don't think I can keep up" My voice was low and coarse.

"Don't worry. I won't let you fall."

That was the end of it.

He started twirling me around and I felt my feet stumble, but he did keep me from falling. I was actually having fun. We didn't talk much and our bodies didn't touch for very long. He was an excellent dancer and he really could lead very well. I wasn't sure I was doing the exact same moves he was but I didn't feel like a total idiot staring at my feet all through the song. The song was longer than I had imagined and the DJ kept the chorus running for a full minute more than the original song, but the instant the last chord played I felt Eduardo step away and let go of my hand. With out looking back or a thank you or anything he left me in the middle of the dance floor.

I didn't know what to think. Was this common Colombian behavior? Because my first instinct told me that The Prick was back, that whatever connection we shared at the beginning of our dance was gone and he clearly wasn't comfortable with it. He couldn't even look me in the eyes, and now that I think about it we hadn't made eye contact after the almost-neck-caressing-debacle.

I was stuck there, I didn't move as the next song started through the speakers but the moment I heard it I froze on the spot.

_Atrévete-te-te salte del clóset._

It was my ring tone and I heard a shriek behind me and Angela and Alicia came running to me screaming "It's your song, it's your song!!!"

All thoughts of my… whatever that was with Eduardo, were lost in the midst of the horrible song.

I started moving to the music with no enthusiasm whatsoever. I just kept wondering what it was that I did to piss him off. Was it me? Was it his ex? I couldn't figure it out. And as hard as I tried not to I really feel sad, I wanted to know him better. I wanted to see where the energy took us even though I was apprehensive. Alicia and Angela caught up to my mood and started making this weird 70's moves and making me follow their lead. They were really crazy, I couldn't think straight when Alicia started doing the moon walk. I just laughed my ass off and forgot to feel sad.

As the song ended Alicia made a face that told me it was time to sit down.

"Sooo…" She said with a half smile "You were dancing with my brother. Is he not such a prick anymore?"

"No, Ali, I'm sorry to break it to you but he is still as much of a prick as before. I think even more so after he just up and left me out there by myself."

"I'm sorry Bella, he's really a nice guy. But… let's just say life hasn't been kind to him in the past year. That bitch of a girlfriend he had in Europe ruined his life!"

"Really? Rosalía told me that he had ruined his friendship with Em but nothing that terrible."

"It's really not my story to tell… But just give him some time"

Time, again with time, I wasn't really sure that time would solve anything. I didn't know if I had the patience to wait for him to figure his life out. I really didn't trust him to be what I needed. We switched to lighter topics as we both drank from her cocktail. Andrés--the hot waiter--came back to give me my second drink. I gulped a good bit of it again, I was so hot and thirsty. Minutes later Em came up to us with a huge smile on his face.

"So ladies!!! Are you ready for some tequila, _desde México con amor_?"

[[[[***]]]]

_Mierda,_ my head hurts. I still had my eyes closed but I could feel the excruciating pain that only came with a hangover…and what in the world is that smell? I slowly opened my eyes to find myself lying on my bed with my clothes from last night still on. I even had my heels on. Shit! How did I get here?

As I got up to look for the source of the smell I found Alicia and Jasper sleeping on the couch in my living room. What the hell? I kept walking toward the extra bathroom where I suspected the source of the smell lay and in fact I opened the door to find an unconscious Miguel with his head resting on the toilet seat. Yep! That was DEFINITELY the source of the smell.

I closed the door to the bathroom and made my way back to my bedroom, when I heard whispered voices coming form the kitchen.

"_En serio Rudolf, está bien. Yo puedo preparar el café no se preocupe._"

"_Niño Eduardo, este es mi trabajo. La señorita Bella se va a despertar con un guayabo terrible. Usted es el que se debería ir para la casa._"

It was Rodolfo and Eduardo debating on who would make me coffee. I didn't get it. Hadn't the Cuellars and Jasper gone to _Andrés _in a separate car? Why did they all end up in MY apartment? And since when was The Prick in such good terms with my driver to give him a new nickname? Rudolf…really?

"_Buenos días_" It was as much as I could process in Spanish in my state of mind.

"Good morning Dancing Queen! You look refreshed!"

He was teasing me! The Prick had the nerve to tease me in my present condition ignoring the fact that the last time we had spoken… OOOHH Shit! When WAS the last time we spoke? The last thing I remember is our salsa dance and then he left me alone there looking like an idiot until his sister saved my ass.

"Hahahah!! Very funny. And what exactly are you doing in my house?"

"So you don't remember our exciting after party? I didn't think you were THAT drunk!"

"What after party? What are you talking about? The last thing I remember is you leaving me in the dance floor like some idiot with no partner or friends."

"OOOOOOH This is RICH!!! So no recollection of our tequila shots or of dancing on the table?"

"No."

"You don't remember us dancing or Em's friend hitting on you?"

His tone changed when he asked me this. He had been mocking me until then but now he was looking at me with hurt in his eyes.

"Seriously, the last thing I remember is dancing to my ring tone… And a second mojito"

"Really Bella, are you fucking kidding me! You couldn't be that drunk! AAAHH Shit!! _Soy un idiota, yo sabía que no debía hacer nada. ¡Mierda! Y ahora ni siquiera se acuerda ¡mucho pendejo! __Ali sí me dijo que había tomado mucho…_Don't pull this on me Isabella, you seriously only remember me leaving after our first dance?" He was VERY angry and my headache didn't let me understand all he said in Spanish. But why was he so angry?

"I'm in no mood for your screaming, Prick. So if you could please just stop shouting and get me some coffee that would be awesome!"

Eduardo's nose started to flair, he looked like he was about to burst a vein in his forehead. Rodolfo just kept looking between the two of us in shock.

"You know what? Get your own coffee. Rudolf will help you with that. And for the record if I'm a prick you are a heartless bitch if I ever saw one." He then stormed out of my kitchen and the last thing I heard was my front door opening and closing.

"_Señorita Isabela, ¿está bien? ese muchacho estuvo con usted desde que se entró al carro, no la dejó sola un solo momento. De lo que yo vi, parecían…bueno no es mi lugar decírselo pero… parecía novios._"

WHAT???? We looked like a couple? Really?

"_¿Cómo así Rodolfo?_"

"_Sí señorita se estuvieron besando todo el camino de vuelta a Bogotá._"

WE WERE KISSING???????????????

***

**Translations:**

_Entonces Bella, ¿estás lista para aprender a bailar salsa rola?_

So Bella, are you ready to learn how to dance salsa like a real Bogotano? (Rola and Rolo are the words used to call people from Bogotá).

_Desde México con amor_

From México with love

_Mierda_

Shit

"_En serio Rudolf, está bien. Yo puedo preparar el café no se preocupe._"

Seriously Rudolf, it's fine. I can make the coffee don't worry.

"_Niño Eduardo, este es mi trabajo. La señorita Bella se va a despertar con un guayabo terrible. Usted es el que se debería ir para la casa._"

Mr. Eduardo, this is my job. Miss Bella will wake up with a terrible hangover. You are the one who should head home.

_Soy un idiota, yo sabía que no debía hacer nada. ¡Mierda! Y ahora ni siquiera se acuerda ¡mucho pendejo! __Ali sí me dijo que había tomado mucho_

I'm an idiot. I knew I shouldn't have done anything. Shit! Now she doesn't even remember anything. What an idiot! Ali did tell me she had a lot to drink.

"_Señorita Isabela, ¿est__á bien? ese muchacho estuvo con usted desde que se entró al carro, no la dejó sola un solo momento. De lo que yo vi, parecían…bueno no es mi lugar decírselo pero… parecía novios._"

Miss Isabella; are you alright? That boy was with you since you got in the car, he didn't leave you alone for a second. And from what I saw…It's really not my place to say but… you looked like a couple.

"_¿Cómo así Rodolfo?_"

What do you mean?

"_Sí señorita se estuvieron besando todo el camino de vuelta a Bogotá._"

Yes, miss. You were kissing all the way back to Bogotá.

**AN: **I've updated the Music section on my profile to include "El Preso", the salsa Edu and Bella danced to.

**Please review!!!!**

**PS for JAM**: Pa... te adoro y eres muy chistoso ponerte a leer mi historia y seguir mis updates...;);)


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight.

**AN**: I'm glad you liked my semi-cliffy and the non descriptive first kiss..;);)…. Don't worry you'll get more than you bargained for in the next few chapters…

**Please keep in mind**** there will be some flashbacks noted in italics. As I normally use italics for the Spanish text I wanted to warn you. If there is Spanish in the flashback it will go with no italics. It really sounds more confusing than it is.**

I'm sorry for not writing any replies!!!! My FF is kinda crazy and won't let me answer… But just so you know I read and LOVED all of them… ;);)… That includes yours too philadelphic ;) (If you aren't reading La Canzone de la Bella Cigna by philadelphic you're missing out!! It's in my favorites).

***

OK Bella, breathe… calm down. It's not the end of the word; it's not even the first time this happens. Come on, remember Tyler? You kissed him totally drunk and then won a stalker. Breathe in and breathe out. OK so where was I…. right: I KISSED EDUARDO FUCKING CUELLAR AND DON'T REMEMBER!!!!!

SHIT!!!!!!!!

Again, calm down.

"_Señorita Bella…¿seguro que está bien?_"

"_Sí, sí, Rodolfo. No se preocupe._"

Yes Rodolfo, I'm fine, don't worry. I just made out with the hottest guy on the planet and don't remember a thing, but it's ALL RIGHT. Breathe.

OK from the top: We got to _Andrés_. We ran into Em, Rosalía and the adventures in Monaco, mojito. I danced with him. He left me, my ring tone, Alicia telling me he's not so bad, mojito…

I woke up in the morning with my heels on. Great! No progress…OOOOOHH, YES… I remember Em coming over to our table with a bottle of tequila. So I DID drink tequila…

"_Buenos días, gente._"

"Em… what the FUCK are you doing in my house??? Why is everyone in my house? And if you all came here, how come no one took my heels off??"

"WHOW there, Tiger! Calm down _chica_. So we are all here because you invited us over after _Andrés _closed down at 3:30 in the morning. You were thoroughly pissed at exactly 4:00 am when we got here; you went into your room and just simply never came out. We stayed over because no one felt like driving Cuellar's car and Rodolfo was very straight forward with what his contract entailed: driving Miss Swan, NOT her famous friends. We didn't feel like taking a cab so we just stayed over. Hope that's fine."

"Hope that's fine? REALLY??? GOD, you guys are unbelievable. Is it a Latin thing to just stay over uninvited…HELL!!!"

"OK, OK, we won't stay over next time. Anyway, Rose and I crashed in your living room floor so it was really not that comfortable. And you know what? Natalia and Angela went into your room to check up on you at some point. If you're complaining about the heels take it up with them."

"And where exactly are they?"

"I actually think they stayed in your room."

WHAT???

No more. Really, my brain was about to burst. I got up from my kitchen counter and took a REALLY good look around. WOW they made a mess. There were glasses all over the place and some form of crumbs from an unidentified source. It was then I started seeing people. On the floor next to Ali and Jasper I could see a mop of blond that had to be Rose's hair. On a chair next to them was a guy of unknown origins who I hadn't seen last night. In my study Ben was sleeping very comfortably on my nice leather chair. And finally in my room right next to where I was this morning were Natalia and Angela.

So apparently 9 people stayed over--including Eduardo--and I gave them permission to trash my place. Great! Rosa, the cleaning lady, was going to kill me.

"_Entonces_, are you angry with us for staying over?" Asked Em, with deer-in-the-head-lights eyes and a semi smile that still showed dimples.

"Naaaah, not really. I just have THE MOTHER of all hangovers."

Rodolfo made some more coffee and just left the room telling me that his wife was waiting for him to serve Saturday lunch, so he was leaving for the day. I told him it was fine and with a final disappointed look he left my apartment.

"Tell me pretty lady. What's it like kissing my friend Cuellar? He had the reputation of being awesome in Milan."

Great, I'm back to THIS conversation. But... I seriously needed to know what happened last night so I complied.

"Well…Em… there's a slight problem with that bit of information. You see… I don't remember anything after you brought over that bottle of tequila."

"HONESTLY? No way! Oh, this is awesome!!! Cuellar must be PISSED. He hates kissing girls who aren't aware of it. Where is he?"

"He… kinda left in a hurry once I told him he was a prick and that I didn't remember anything?"

"OOHH SHIT, Bella!!!! He's definitely NOT the right person to handle that. Well at least now he knows and he won't put his heart out there. He might be a looker but he really is a gentleman, I never saw him kiss a girl randomly or just because. He would date the girl at least a couple of weeks if they kissed."

GREAT! Now I'm the horrible mistake he… wait a minute DATE??? HHMM…

Oh please! Get your head straight Bella, of course he won't date you after this morning; you really did treat him like shit.

"Em… what should I do?? Please tell me what to do! Or at least tell me what you saw last night?"

"Well, B. After we started with our shots you suddenly stood up and yelled 'I don't care, I'm going to ask him what the hell his problem is' and you up and left with no other explanation. I think that must have been some time around midnight. After an hour or so I finally saw you again. You and Cuellar were outside smoking…"

"I WAS SMOKING???" I tried hard to remember something, anything that would help me understand what was going on…

_He was looking directly at me with those green eyes that could melt an iceberg. __"Bella, I can't go into this with you if you're not 100% sure I'm what you want. I can't handle another Tanya. And if you're looking for something casual it's really not my thing. You say I'm a prick, well the truth is that being in Colombia is not my choice…" he said while he blew O's with his cigarette smoke. I gently traced my fingers across his cheek…_

"Oh wait, I remember the smoking. And I wasn't smoking, it was him. We were talking about his relationship with Tanya and what he wanted from me..." Oh my god! I was touching him… TENDERLY… What the fuck?

Gah, this mess is only getting worse and worse.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever! You guys just looked like you were about to go at it like bunnies and from the little conversation I heard you were talking seriously about your feelings and shit. Well after that…I just saw you making out as we were leaving _Andrés_. He refused to leave you alone so I took his car and you invited all of us over. And that's the end of it."

"Yeah… about that whole 'me inviting everyone over' who is that guy in the living room?"

Em just started cracking up "OOOHH that's my friend Juan Camilo. He started hitting on you at some point and he came up to me for info, but the moment he stumbled on you and Eduardo he saw there was no chance, so he ended up going after Natalia."

Great! So a friend of Em's _did_ hit on me.

_I am standing next to this guy, his name is Juan something or other. He is one of Emeterio's friends. He keeps looking intently at me so I give him a tentative smile._

"Hola preciosa_ wanna dance?" he asks in a slurry voice. I was ready to give him a piece of my mind when I felt that electric current and heard what could only be described as a growl. __"_Mira güevón, si no te haz dado cuenta estamos hablando así que…_" __Eduardo just insulted him and told him to fuck off while putting his arm around my waist in a very possessive stance._

Gah! How annoying I keep getting these little tidbits of information! I wish I could remember all of it already!

"UUURRGGHHHHH!!! Why can't I remember???"

"Are you thinking about the two hours you spent talking privately to my dear brother at _Andrés_? Or are you talking about the moment when we came back to your apartment and you locked yourself in your room with him?"

NOOOO PLEASE NOOOO!!!

"Alicia, I beg you, sit down and tell me everything I did. I think I screwed up!!"

"OOOOHHH. Don't worry Bella, it's fine. As long as you keep your mouth shut about not remembering everything he'll survive."

Emeterio --who I've come to realize, is a horrible, horrible person-- just spat most of his coffee and started laughing so hard he fell off my counter. He paused enough to get a few choice words out. "You are SOOO screwed girl!!!"

"Ali! PLEASE DON'T SAY THAT! God I'm in trouble. Your brother already left because I told him the last thing I remember was him leaving me in the dance floor after our first dance… and I think I might have called him a prick in his face…"

"Sweetie! Why would you do that? Didn't you speak to him enough to know he doesn't take these things lightly? You danced all night long, for Christ sake!"

_We were dancing to a slow tune when I felt his arms start to hold me tighter. "You know what? Ever since Tanya and I broke up, I thought I was worthless. She made me feel like I wasn't worth enough to be with someone else. But tonight…tonight you made me think that maybe I am worthwhile, that maybe it was Tanya…" Right then Miguel decided to make his presence known by cutting through us and making kissing noises. The moment was los__t, but the feeling was there. I felt it and I saw it in his eyes._

"I… I don't remember everything that happened so PLEASE get that through your head!! I keep getting these fragments, but nothing concrete. I know what happened last night wasn't some fling but… This is horrible. Alicia, just tell me everything you saw!"

"Well, we were sitting at our table when this idiot came over" she said while pointing at Em. (That asshole hadn't stopped laughing the whole time. He might just die laughing at me) "with a bottle of tequila. You started telling me that my brother was really beautiful but that his attitude sucked --especially with you-- and that you didn't know what to expect. I said you should just talk to him and you took my advice way sooner than I thought, you just went looking for him right away.

"After that…I think I saw you two outside having a heart to heart but really I was kind of more interested in Jazz at that moment… Then we bumped into each other in the bathroom. When I asked you how it was going you said that you thought Edu was the man of your dreams and that he asked you out and that you were going to dinner tomorrow –today, whatever—and…"

_I was making my way back from the restrooms __and I felt Eduardo behind me. "I thought you were going to ditch me after I asked you out" he said while putting his arms around me. My back was pressed against his perfect body. "Don't ever leave me again."_

Alicia kept talking but I spaced out. He said I should never leave him…He had asked me out…I'm pretty sure he must have said something about not hurting him…I'd been a bitch with him this morning…I was a heartless bitch. And the worst part was that this whole time, since he had left I felt numb. And it wasn't the hangover. I felt empty inside.

How could it be possible to like someone you thought you hated? Because I have to admit—if only to myself right now—that somewhere along the way last night I gave my heart to Eduardo Cuellar…

"Ali I need his number." I called out interrupting whatever it was Alicia was talking about.

"If I know him --and I do-- he won't answer any call from an unknown number right now."

"I don't care… I really don't give a rat's ass. I have to apologize and I have to do it in person, and if that means leaving a message on his machine then so be it. If I don't do this now, maybe he won't ever forgive me…"

Alicia gave me a hopeful smile and the cell "He's under _Mole_. I won't explain that, so don't ask."

I ran to my room and got my cell phone out of my purse. (Why is it that when you need that thing the most it HAS to be in the very bottom, beneath a bunch of stuff you never use?) I dialed his number and just waited. As expected his machine came on, and like all other Colombians he didn't leave a personalized message but let the very generic machine/female voice answer.

"Eduardo, it's me Isabella. I really need to talk to you! I'll be waiting in _El Parque de la 93_. I'll sit on a bench next to the fountain at 5 pm. I won't leave until you show up. Please!! I need to tell you what I remember! I'm sorry; I'm TRULY sorry for what I said this morning! I…" I couldn't say that I… what, liked him?? "I won't ever let you leave me again."

***

**Translations:**

"_Señorita Bella…¿seguro que está bien?_"

Miss Bella, are you sure you're alright?

"_Sí, sí, Rodolfo. No se preocupe._"

Yes, yes Rodolfo. Don't worry.

"_Buenos días, gente._"

Good morning people!

_Hola preciosa_

Hello gorgeous.

_Mira güevón, si no te haz dado cuenta estamos hablando así que…_

Look here idiot, If you haven't noticed we're talking here so… (Fuck off, basically)

_Mole__: La Mole, 4 Fantásticos_

Google it… or wait for the answer in a future chapter.

**A****/N**: Soooo….. REVIEW!!!! Or Eduardo might just not make it to _El Parque_.

The answering machines for our cell phone companies have a little glitch. We get charged by the minute and the count starts the moment someone answers, if the machine goes on you have a couple of seconds to hang up and they won't charge you for the minute. If the person you are calling has a personalized message the phone company charges the caller right away… So NO ONE does that to their friends… That's why we couldn't hear his melodious voice answering…


End file.
